The focus was on FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl’s time as Interior Minister. The first person to provide information was the head of the Financial Procuratorate, Wolfgang Peschorn, who had the previous cabinets audited. Kickl’s mounted police were stopped, among other things, because the horses were too large.
“I am happy to be available to you as a person to provide information for the twelfth time,” said Peschorn in his opening statement, which was very similar to the one from last week in the COFAG committee. Peschorn himself briefly served as Interior Minister in the interim government under Brigitte Bierlein and had his previous cabinets audited by the internal auditors when he took office. His credo: “Party political considerations were alien to me and are alien to me. In this regard, I feel secularized.”
MPs repeatedly asked about the reason for the audit order, which also included Kickl’s time. The respondent said he simply wanted to create an opening balance sheet. It’s like a good businessman. There were also no reports from employees in the cabinet. When asked by trial judge Christa Edwards why, as Interior Minister, he had stopped spending on advertisements, Peschorn said: “I couldn’t see why we were spending this money.”
The height of the horses was too high
Peschorn also turned down his predecessor Kickl’s idea of a mounted police force on instructions. One of the reasons – in addition to the costs – after an examination of the project: the height of the horses was too high, while the riders in training were shorter in stature. The question of how to deal with the horses’ excrement would also have played a role.
In addition to Peschorn, the public initially expected another old acquaintance on the U-Committee – at least before the meeting began: the screen, which was supposed to visually shield the MPs from the press. It was then dismantled on Wednesday morning. Incidentally, National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP), who actually chairs both U-committees, was absent again. He was represented by his party colleague Wolfgang Gerstl.
After Peschorn, it is the turn of the head of internal audit at the Ministry of the Interior. During his survey, the ÖVP is particularly interested in what is happening in the department under former Minister Kickl. In keeping with this, Kickl’s former general secretary Peter Goldgruber was invited as the last person to provide information on Wednesday. He is the only one entitled to the full interview time of four hours.
Five people canceled
ÖVP parliamentary group leader Andreas Hanger complained again before the start of the committee that five respondents from the FPÖ environment had canceled, some with flimsy arguments. That’s why there is only one survey day this week. Kickl’s former head of cabinet Reinhard Teufel, who is now the head of the blue club in Lower Austria and in a coalition with the ÖVP, is also at the diving station. He had actually already agreed for Wednesday, but was canceled and then spontaneously invited back.
The Greens want to devote themselves to the FPÖ’s “Russia connection”. They want to see how the FPÖ has brought Austria into an “extremely dangerous situation” with its “cozy course,” announced parliamentary group leader Meri Disoski. Your NEOS colleague Yannick Shetty once again spoke of an alleged “mud battle” in the U-committees. Rather, we need to talk about how we can end advertising corruption.
FPÖ parliamentary group leader Christian Hafenecker identified an “election campaign committee” and a “farce”. The ÖVP is desperately trying to attack the future “People’s Chancellor” Kickl. Eva-Maria Holzleitner from the SPÖ also recalled the “genesis” of the U-Committee. This is simply a diversionary tactic by the COFAG investigative committee set up by the SPÖ and the FPÖ. She also questioned the ÖVP’s request again, but agreed to seek clarification.
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